rev:text
| - Gorgeous artwork, beautiful architecture and exotic food: what's not to love?! Throw in pop up musical acts, story telling and another art exhibit at the adjacent Ismaili Centre and I could say that it was a very enjoyable visit.
I was home with the flu for a whole week and I was experiencing cabin fever BAD! So I convinced a friend of mine to accompany me to Aga Khan.
The permanent collection is housed on the first floor and temporary exhibits on the second. The second floor was closed during our visit because they were currently switching out the artwork: the only downside of our visit.
What caught my eye first was this big Mongolian Yurt (tent) that filled up the inner courtyard. I read that it symbolises the universe, so naturally we had to check it out and take a selfie at it's centre..... the centre of the universe WOO HOO! It was pretty cozy and served as a unique venue for the musicians that we saw later that day.
In the main gallery I was entertained by the projected images on the walls and the interactive kiosks. I oohed and aahed at the gilded books with beautiful vibrant illustrations. Artifacts crafted from marble, precious stones, silk and gold appealed to my feminine side.
After our short self guided tour, we had a very satisfying lunch at Diwan. Afterwards we perused the gift store that showcased porcelain vases edged in 24 karat gold, jewelry inlaid with semi-precious stones, exotic perfumes, and luxurious Italian silk scarves for the women and ties for the gents.
The restaurant (Diwan) and gift shop are located at the front of the museum and are accessible without a museum ticket. There is a small cafe behind the courtyard that sells prepackaged sandwiches, snacks, delicious Sloane teas, and THE best beef samosas!
A small museum with two floors but packed with lots of activity (see calandar of events to make the most of your visit). Also book a free tour of the adjacent Ismaili Centre. The staff were lovely, very warm and welcoming.
|